"This thing I'm doing" which is such a big part of my life can be serious stuff for grownups, fully worth the effort I'm putting into it, and not merely a self-serving escape into my childhood memories.

On reflection, the most important thing I've learned is how to spot Narrativist games. I can now tell a Narrativist game simply through flicking through it.

My own group are Narrativists, except for one person who is a Gamist, so we like Narrativist games the best. I am really glad the Forge produced so many Narrativist games and did so much to promote Narrativism as opposed to Gamist games like Dungeons and Dragons.

The results you are likely to attain are shaped by the system you used to produce them. If you are consistently dissatisfied with the results that seem to keep happening, re-evaluate the system you are using to produce them. None of this will take away from spontaneity or joyful unpredictability. It's true in every other social endeavor human beings participate in, and it's true in gaming.